Hundreds voice opinions on F-35B

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The winds of change are blowing with plans to bring the next-generation F-35B Joint Strike Fighter to the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

On Tuesday, more than 670 Beaufort citizens voiced their opinion on the Department of the Navy's draft Economic Impact Statement released last month detailing how 13 new Joint Strike Fighter squadrons will be divided between Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and MCAS Cherry Point. The Navy held a public meeting at the Holiday Inn to gauge public interest, answer questions and address concerns.

"Beaufort has a tremendous relationship between the military and the private sector that I haven't seen at the same level anywhere else in the country," said retired Lt. Gen. Garry Parks, who lives in Seabrook. "We want to continue to preserve that relationship. Luckily in this case, what's good for the Corps is good for the community."

The public meeting featured several subject matter experts to discuss the fighter's impact on multiple topics such as noise, economic impact and airfield operations, along with an F-35B flight simulator.

"It was a good presentation, it helped having the simulator here along with all the other stations," said Brad Samuels, chairman of the Beaufort City Council Military Affairs Committee. "People were allowed to get their questions answered about specific topics."An initial "scoping" meeting on the F-35B was held Feb. 3, 2009, and public comments received were incorporated into the current draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The draft EIS recommended the Air Station receive two pilot training squadrons and three active-duty squadrons. The report included three other alternatives that added different numbers of planes and service members in Beaufort, but all four plans would assign the F-35B to Beaufort.

The Navy will make its final decision on where to place the new squadrons in December based, in part, on feedback from Tuesdays meeting.